PEANUTS: The Next ChapterEpisode 3: Homecoming Redemption
by HPDrummerman
Summary: Charlie Brown gets a second chance at becoming a hero for the Homecoming game. But will Lucy thwart this attempt as well? Also Thibault is getting ready to leave for military school. In a subplot it is revealed that the events that happened in It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown with Lucy pulling the ball away from Charlie Brown and him getting the blame was just the beginning.
1. Chapter 1

Episode 3: Homecoming Redemption

 **CHAPTER 1: RECAP & DÉJÀ VU!**

 **AFTER THE LAST HOMECOMING GAME…**

 _"No, Marcie!" Peppermint Patty said. "Chuck lost us the game! End of story!"_

 _"But I got the proof he wasn't at fault, sir," Marcie protested. "This is the video of the game that was broadcasted that day. Everyone who was watching at home said the same thing I've been saying. Charles wasn't at fault. Lucille obviously pulled the ball away, as she always does. Will you at least watch the tape, sir?"_

 _"All right, Marcie," said an exasperated Patty. "If it'll put this whole thing to rest, I'll watch it."_

 _Marcie proceeded to put the tape in and pressed play. The footage began and it immediately goes to the part where they were behind one point and needed a field goal to win._

 _"_ The little red-haired girl is watching _," Charlie Brown said in the video. "_ This is my last chance to really impress her! _" The ball is tossed to Lucy and when Charlie Brown comes running up to kick it, she smirked and pulled it away at the last moment._

 _"_ AAUGH! _"_

 _And Charlie Brown lands on the line of scrimmage, with Peppermint Patty at the bottom. Marcie stops the video at that point._

 _"You see?" said Marcie pointing at the screen. "Charles did not mess up that kick like you said he did. Lucille pulled the ball away from him. She wasn't interested in winning the game as she was interested in humiliating Charles, which she did succeed at."_

 _"Oh good grief!" moaned Patty, now realizing the repercussions of her own actions blaming Charlie Brown. "You were right, Marcie. Chuck wasn't at fault! Why didn't I see this to begin with?"_

 _"You were busy in the line of scrimmage, sir. You couldn't pay attention to everything, and everyone understands that. But even when everyone came to you who did see what happened to Charles, you still didn't believe them."_

 _"No wonder Chuck wouldn't want to be with a girl like me! Not only do I have freckles and a big nose, but I blame Chuck for something that wasn't his fault. And it's not the first time I've done that, either. I need to make it up to him, Marcie."_

 _"One thing you could do is apologize to him, sir."_

 _"I think I'll do just that." And Peppermint Patty left her house to go see Charlie Brown to apologize for how she treated him over the game. And maybe chastise Lucy for letting him take the blame for something that was her fault. "I just wonder where the footage came from." Woodstock watched from a distance and chuckled a bit to himself._

 **PRESENT DAY**

Snoopy is seated on the ground as Woodstock brings in his camera equipment and sits it in Snoopy's lap. As soon as everything's in, Snoopy starts winding his ears like a helicopter and he takes off. Woodstock is covering the Homecoming Parade once again. This time the Homecoming court was different from last time. Sidney Walsh was the queen for that year and Pig Pen was her escort. Some of the other princesses were the same as before with some differences. And even the other escorts were different. While Schroeder was back as one of the escorts, other guys were with him, as Charlie Brown, Linus, and Franklin sat this one out. Instead, they all were on a different float dedicated to the rest of the football players.

"Linus," Charlie Brown began, "I hope Peppermint Patty remembers her promise to me to keep your sister from holding the ball."

"Don't worry, Charlie Brown," said Linus. "Peppermint Patty said she already had a placeholder in mind that wasn't Lucy."

"Well at least Pig Pen gets to escort the queen this year," said Charlie Brown. "There won't be any attention on me, except for the game, of course."

"And with you being with Frieda, it's just as well," Linus agreed.

Meanwhile on the escorts float, Schroeder was chatting with Pig Pen, who actually managed to clean himself pretty good.

"You're not nervous about escorting the queen, are you?" asked Schroeder.

"Nah," said Pig Pen. "I think I can make it through it without getting nervous."

"You remember Charlie Brown being a barrel of nerves last time," Schroeder remembered. "I just didn't want you to feel the same, Pig Pen."

"Don't worry, Schroeder," Pig Pen said with confidence. "I'm perfectly cool and calm."

At that moment, Snoopy went in for a landing and Woodstock brought his camera in to shoot the parade.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: GAME TIME!**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: X's AND ZEROS REVISITED**

The team was in the locker room. Peppermint Patty was going over the strategy. It was Déjà Vu. What was happening was another Homecoming game. There wasn't any school junior football so they were part of a co-op pee-wee football league. The Homecoming theme was a formality. They wanted to do something that the high schoolers were doing and so they put on their own Homecoming game and dance. After going over the strategy for the game, Patty asked if there were any questions.

"I have a question," said Franklin.

"It's not about if we're the X's or Zeros again, is it, Franklin?" she asked.

"No, it's who's going to tee the ball for our kicker?"

"I'll do it," Lucy volunteered immediately. Charlie Brown looked nervous. He glanced at Peppermint Patty for an answer.

"That's nice of you, Lucille," Patty began, "but I already chose Schroeder to hold the ball for the kicker."

"What?!" Lucy was shocked that she was thwarted from humiliating Charlie Brown, who breathed a sigh of relief when he heard who was holding the ball. He knew Schroeder wouldn't do anything underhanded.

Patty finished up, "I'm going to need you in the line of scrimmage." Lucy folded her arms in disappointment. She relished in making Charlie Brown look like a fool, and she wouldn't be doing it this time. "And so I can keep an eye on you," Patty thought to herself in regards to Lucy.

"All right let's get out there and win!" Patty finally said, and everyone started running for the field to play. Charlie Brown says to Peppermint Patty on the way out there, "Thanks, Patty."

"No problem, Chuck," she said. "I've got your back."

They ran out onto the field, where Snoopy was cheering with the cheerleaders again. However he wasn't officiating the game this time. Instead it was his tennis mixed doubles partner Molly Volley who was serving as referee. She didn't do any of that showboating Snoopy did. Lucy took notice and said to herself, "Molly Volley's the referee this year?"

"All right, Patricia," Molly said. "Call it!" And Molly tossed a coin in the air.

"Heads," said Patty. It landed on "tails" again like before. "Good grief, tails AGAIN?!"

"All right," said Molly. "Patricia, your team will kick off; their team will receive." Both Patty and the other team's captain went to their respective sides. And Molly blew the whistle to begin the game.

"Are you ready, Charlie Brown?" asked Schroeder, already holding the ball.

"For once, Schroeder, I am ready and looking forward to this game," said an enthusiastic Charlie Brown.

And then Charlie took off for the ball and kicked it pretty far. Everyone was impressed by Charlie's distance. Frieda, who was on the cheerleading squad with Melanie and Snoopy, was watching from the sideline.

"Way to go, sweetie!" she said to herself. She turned to Snoopy, who was walking up. "Snoopy, we should keep watch on your owner; just to make sure that Lucy doesn't pull anything funny." Snoopy nodded in agreement.

As the other team grabbed the ball, they ran for their end zone, only to be tackled by Patty's team. Charlie Brown was already back at the sideline sitting at his team's bench with Linus. "That was a great kick, Charlie Brown," Linus said.

"Thanks, Linus," said Charlie Brown. "Without your crazy sister holding the ball, I can finally have a decent showing on the field."

"I wonder why she always wants to pull the ball away from you all the time anyway," said Linus. "And even during an important game she does that."

"I'm just glad my name has been cleared of losing the last Homecoming game. Now I can prove that I wasn't at fault for that."

Later in the game, it's the other team's turn to kick off. Molly blew the whistle. The other team's kicker runs for the ball and kicks it. Peppermint Patty caught the ball and started running for her team's end zone. They got tackled midway there.

The cheerleaders cheered, "Two, four six eight! Who do we appreciate? Patty! Patty! Peppermint Patty!"

Franklin hiked the ball to Pig Pen, who passed it to Patty, who ran it into their end zone for a touchdown. Linus said to Charlie Brown, "Time for the extra point, Charlie Brown." Talk about Déjà vu, Charlie Brown thought to himself as he ran towards the huddle.

"Okay, Chuck," Patty began, "send it between the beams and we'll hold 'em back for ya!" They break and Charlie Brown ran back while Schroeder waited for the ball. The ball was tossed to Schroeder and Charlie Brown ran up and kicked it, sending it through the goal posts for the extra point.

The cheerleaders began to cheer, "Charlie! Charlie! He's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" After the cheer, Frieda waved to Charlie Brown on the field. Charlie Brown waved back with a smile toward his girlfriend as he got ready for the kickoff. Once Molly blew the whistle, Charlie Brown ran and kicked the ball toward the other team who received it. He was finally getting redeemed for the last Homecoming game where everyone thought he lost the game for the team. While everyone finally learned it was Lucy who was really at fault, he felt now folks will see that he wasn't a total loser and was a pretty decent football player.

Somewhere else far away from the game, at a modest home, Thibault was packing some clothes in a suitcase, like he was going on a trip. He walked into his closet and grabbed some more clothes and put it in his suitcase. He stopped for a little while and grabbed a brochure sitting on his bed. It read "Melendez Military School".

 **NEXT CHAPTER: "WE KNOW WHO OUR ZERO IS; AND IT ISN'T CHARLIE BROWN!"**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: IT'S THE GREAT SETUP, CHARLIE BROWN!**

 **ONE MONTH BEFORE THE PREVIOUS HOMECOMING GAME:**

 _Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown were sitting under a tree. They were talking about the upcoming Homecoming game. Rumor had it was that a girl from Charlie Brown's school was in the running to be the Homecoming Queen. He didn't know who it was, though._

 _"Hey Chuck," Patty began, "you know we got the big Homecoming game coming up. And I need a kicker for our team. Would you be interested?"_

 _"Me?" asked Charlie Brown. "I guess so."_

 _"I know you're not that great at football, but I was told you were a great kicker."_

 _"Who told you that?"_

 _"Lucille was the one to suggest you."_

 _"LUCY?! I wonder why she would suggest me, knowing that she's always pulls the ball away from me when we're off the field."_

 _"I know she pulls that trick on you constantly, Chuck. But she promised that wouldn't happen during the game. She knows how important it is to us to win it."_

 _"I don't know. I guess as long as she's not holding the ball, I guess it'll be okay."_

 _"She is holding it, Chuck."_

 _"Oh good grief!"_

 _"Relax, Chuck. She wouldn't pull that knowing that it's a big game for us."_

 _"I hope you're right, Patty. I just don't want to be made a fool of during the game."_

 _"I understand, Chuck. Just keep that magic foot in shape for the game."_

 _As that conversation was going on, elsewhere Lucy and Violet were having their own discussion about the game._

 _"You can congratulate me now," Lucy said with pride._

 _"Congratulate you for what?" wondered Violet._

 _"Congratulate me for coming up with the greatest scheme ever," said Lucy with an evil grin on her face. "I just convinced Peppermint Patty to add Charlie Brown to the football team for the Homecoming game. I told her he was one of the greatest football punters around. I told her while he wasn't that great at baseball, he was a great kicker for football."_

 _"So?"_

 _"You know how I always pull the ball away from him every year?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Well, I'm going to do it on a grander scale at the game, multiple times when he comes up to kick the ball! And the best part is Peppermint Patty won't be paying attention because she'll be too busy in the line of scrimmage, so she is sure to blame him for messing up the kick, when in reality he missed it by no fault of his own. It will be the greatest humiliation towards Charlie Brown."_

 _"What's so great about that, Lucy? Charlie Brown does a good job at humiliating himself without help. Why not just wait for him to mess up on his own?"_

 _"You didn't hear the best part about this scheme, yet! Rumor has it that a certain little red-haired girl Charlie Brown likes so much has been nominated for Homecoming Queen. And I placed his name, along with Linus's name, in a ballot box to be the escorts for the Queen and her court."_

 _"You didn't?!"_

 _"I did! While I figured I was doing my brother a favor, in Charlie Brown's case, it will be the greatest humiliation. When everyone else blames him for losing the game, the little red-haired girl will probably not want anything to do with Charlie Brown at all. He will be crushed, and it will be so beautiful!"_

 _"And I thought I was mean. Lucy, that's pretty bad, even for you. I may not think much of Charlie Brown, let alone like him, but I would never go out of my way to humiliate him in this fashion. I may put him down or point out how much of a simpleton he is to his face, but I would never try to purposely sabotage his chance of being a winner at something. Especially if the girl he likes is the Queen. I just pray he doesn't get chosen as part of the court."_

 _"I guess that's the difference between me and you, Violet. You and Patty are content with putting him down; I just take it to the next level with complete and total destruction of any pride left in that blockhead."_

 _"Well I won't try to stop you, Lucy, and I won't reveal your plans either. But know that you're on your own in this plan to hurt poor Charlie Brown."_

 _"Oh well. More glory for me, I guess." Unbeknownst to Lucy or Violet, a mysterious figure was videotaping the entire conversation. The figure finished after both girls walked away._

 **PRESENT DAY**

The game was going really well. Peppermint Patty's team was keeping up with the other team. Sometimes they get ahead, sometimes the other team would. But with Schroeder holding the ball for Charlie Brown instead of Lucy it made a huge difference. And Lucy so far never tried to hinder Charlie Brown's success at kicking the ball. In fact, she stayed in the line of scrimmage with the rest.

At one point, Patty's team was near their end zone. They got in a huddle and she said, "All right, team! I'm gonna go through the crowd and go for the T.D. and get us ahead." They break the huddle and get ready for the play.

"Hut One, Hut Two, Hut Three, HIKE!" Patty headed for the end zone only to be tackled by their defensive man.

Back in the huddle, a concerned Patty said, "Sorry guys. I couldn't make it. We're going to have to go for the field goal."

"Looks like they're going to have to goal for a field goal, Charlie Brown," Linus said. "You've been doing great today! Send that ball into the stratosphere!" And Charlie Brown got up to get ready for the field goal. He came to the huddle.

"Okay, Chuck," Peppermint Patty said, "it's all you! Send it in for the extra three!" They broke the huddle and Patty and the rest went back to the line of scrimmage.

"Hut One, Hut Two, Hut Three, HIKE!" Charlie Brown caught the ball and kicked it before the other team could tackle him. Last time he tried to kick it in at the last Homecoming game, he had gotten sacked by the other team before he could kick it. But this time he managed to score the extra three points they needed. They were still behind, but they were making a good showing for this game.

"Great job, Charlie Brown," said Schroeder after Charlie Brown scored the three points.

"Thanks, Schroeder," said Charlie Brown. "I'm finally getting redeemed for what happened at the last Homecoming game I played in." After that it was Halftime. The teams went back to their respective locker rooms to recuperate and go over more strategy.

Meanwhile, Thibault was walking by himself. He went to Joe's Café for a bite to eat. This would be the last time he went to Joe's for a while. He wanted to have a burger from there before he was to leave for Military School. While there he saw Roy sitting by himself.

"Hey Roy," he said to him.

"Oh hey, Thibault," Roy greeted.

"How come you're not at the Homecoming game?" Thibault asked.

"I didn't feel like going," said Roy. "I'm not that into football, anyway. I know my friends are playing in the game, but I rather stay back. When I was at the last game, Charlie Brown was made the fall guy for something that wasn't entirely his fault. And I didn't want to be around that scene."

"Can't say that I blame ya," Thibault agreed. "If you're wondering why I'm not there, I'm leaving tomorrow and I'm just getting ready for it."

"Leaving? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Melendez Military School. I need some structure in my life. My psychiatrist recommended it to my father and he asked me if I wanted to go. I said of course, if it will get me out of that awful remedial school I've been going to since the whole incident with my ex-girlfriend."

"Well I hope things work out for you."

"Me, too. I feel like I need this. Maybe I can even deal with my own anger issues." And Thibault went to the counter to order his food.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: AND THE PLOT THICKENS…**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: AN OFFER SNOOPY CAN'T REFUSE**

 **TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE PREVIOUS HOMECOMING GAME**

 _Snoopy was laying on top of his doghouse for a little nap when Lucy came walking up. She had just heard that Snoopy would be officiating the Homecoming game. And with her plot against Charlie Brown picking up steam, he was the last piece to put in place and she knew she could manipulate him, a.k.a. threaten him. Charlie Brown and Linus, to Lucy's delight, were chosen to be escorts for the court. And, even more important to her, Charlie Brown was picked to escort the Queen. Unbeknownst to him, though, was the fact that the little red-haired girl was picked to be the Queen. But Lucy knew and was going to use that to her advantage._

 _"Snoopy, wake up!" she said. "I need to discuss business with you." Snoopy sat up and stretched out and yawned. He turned to Lucy to see what she had to say._

 _"Now listen, you stupid beagle," she began, "because I'm only going to say this once. I know about you being the referee for the upcoming Homecoming game. And I will be playing on Peppermint Patty's team. Now when the game is going on, no matter what I do on the field, TURN THE OTHER WAY. You understand me? TURN THE OTHER WAY! You didn't see anything. If you report anything I do, or tell anyone about this deal, not only will I pound you, but after I'm done, I'll give what's left of you to the cat next door!" Snoopy shook with fear. He didn't want any part of the cat next door._

 _"Now, are we clear on the instructions?" Lucy asked with an evil grin. Snoopy nodded fast. "Good. I expect you to abide by our deal." And she left Snoopy to ponder what he had gotten himself into. From a distance, the same mysterious figure was videotaping the whole thing, and then left._

 _Sometime later at the wall, Lucy was talking to Violet a bit more about her scheme against Charlie Brown._

 _"Everything is coming into place, Violet," Lucy said with glee. "That blockhead will never know what hit him. And with his beloved little red-haired girl as the Homecoming Queen, she'd be embarrassed to be anywhere near Charlie Brown. Even better is the fact his own dog is in it with me, now, with a little persuasion, of course."_

 _"Wow, that's deplorable, Lucy," said Violet. "While I'm not one to defend Charlie Brown, what has he done to deserve this kind of abuse?"_

 _"Nothing," said Lucy. "Just his being born is enough for his suffering."_

 _"Well as I said before, I won't interfere with your plot, as awful as it is, but don't expect me or Patty to help you with this."_

 _"That's okay. And I do appreciate your keeping quiet about this."_

 _"What I want to know is what are you going to do if and when Peppermint Patty finds out about this?"_

 _"I'm not worried about that idiot," said Lucy, without a shred of remorse. "She's so stupid; she'll believe that Charlie Brown screwed up. This girl thinks Snoopy is a funny-looking kid with a big nose, for crying out loud. Stevie Wonder could see that Snoopy's a dog! So why wouldn't she think he screwed up? Plus on a field that big you wouldn't tell that I was pulling the ball away. So not only will that moron Peppermint Patty think he messed up; everyone else will, too. Because he's Charlie Brown!"_

 _"And just like Charlie Brown, you're hopeless, Lucy," Violet said, walking away frustrated. Lucy just stood there, smiling about her ploy. The same mysterious figure videotaped their conversation._

 **PRESENT DAY**

After Halftime, the teams came back out for the second half of the game. Frieda was standing with Snoopy. They've been watching closely for Lucy to pull a stunt. It hadn't been revealed that Lucy threatened Snoopy from the last game, so he was nervous.

"So far, so good, Snoopy," she said. "Lucy hasn't tried to humiliate your owner, yet. We still have a lot of game to go, though. Keep close watch." Snoopy agreed. The teams took the field. Then Molly Volley blew the whistle to start the next half. Charlie Brown kicked the ball toward the other team and the game was back on.

"It looks good so far, Frieda," said Melanie. "Our boyfriends seem to be doing real well."

"I agree, Mel," said Frieda. "Just so as long as a certain raven-haired brat doesn't try anything funny."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember? Lucy pulled the ball away from Charlie Brown at least four times. Aside from one attempted kick where he was sacked, Lucy thwarted every attempt at scoring because of her sick need to humiliate Charlie Brown."

"If she tried that with my Frankie, she'd be sorry!"

Later in the game towards the end, there was twenty seconds left in the game. Peppermint Patty's team was behind by only one point, just like last time. And they could still win it with a field goal, so she called a timeout. Peppermint Patty came to the sideline where Charlie Brown and Linus were seated.

"I can't push them back any farther," said Patty. "We're on the five yard line. And it's an easy field goal." She headed back toward the field.

"All right, Charlie Brown," said Linus. "We're only one point behind. Get out there and score us a win!" Charlie Brown enthusiastically ran out to the huddle. Frieda watched as her boyfriend went out for the field goal. "It's hero time, baby!" she said to herself.

"Okay, Chuck," Patty began, "I don't think I have to tell you how important this is. We'll try to hold them back, while you launch it through the towers." They broke the huddle and Charlie Brown went over to kick where Schroeder was waiting for the ball.

"This is it, Charlie Brown," Schroeder said, with excitement. "It's Sidney, or the Bush!"

As the ball was tossed to Schroeder and before Charlie Brown could kick it, they heard a familiar voice. "Hold it! Hold it!" It was Lucy, and she was coming over where the boys were.

"OH GOOD GRIEF!" said Charlie Brown, knowing what she was up to.

"Oh no!" cried Frieda from the sideline. "I knew she would try to pull something! Snoopy, get Molly Volley!" And Snoopy ran to get Molly, who was on the field. He tapped her shoulder.

"Snoopy!" she said, surprised to see him on the field. "What is it, partner?" Snoopy pointed towards the scene where Lucy, Charlie Brown, and Schroeder were. "Don't worry. I'll take care of this."

Meanwhile, Lucy was trying to take over holding the ball. "You look tired, Schroeder," she said. "I can take over holding the ball from this point on."

"Oh no!" said Schroeder. "You think I don't know what you're up to? You're just trying to humiliate Charlie Brown again."

"Me, humiliate Charlie Brown?" she said, trying to act innocent. "Perish the thought. Come on, Schroeder, let me hold the ball." And she shoved Schroeder out of the way and took the ball. Charlie Brown rolled his eyes, dreading the impeding outcome.

"Come on, Charlie Brown," said Lucy with a sick smile on her face. "KICK THE BALL."

Charlie Brown sighed. "Goodbye hero," he lamented. "Hello goat!" And as he started to run toward his fate of Lucy pulling it away and making the team lose yet again because she wanted to embarrass Charlie Brown again, he was saved at the last minute with the blast of Molly Volley's whistle.

"STOP THE CLOCK!" she shouted. "Van Pelt, what in the name of Sparky Schulz do you think you are doing?!"

"I was holding the ball for the placekicker," Lucy said, matter-of-factly. "What else would I be doing?"

"Oh I don't know, POSSIBLY TRYING TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF HIM LIKE YOU DID LAST TIME?! NOW GET YOUR KEASTER OFF MY FIELD! YOU ARE DONE PLAYING IN THIS GAME BECAUSE OF UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT!"

"What did you say?!"

"DID I STUTTER?" Lucy backed off. Even she knew not to mess with Molly Volley. She reluctantly complied and went towards the locker room. Peppermint Patty called from the line of scrimmage, "Expect more yelling to come, Lucille. Except it will be from me!"

"All right, the show's over," Molly said, restoring order. "Resume play, and restart the clock back to twenty seconds." Charlie Brown was relieved. Molly stopped a planned takeover from Lucy just to make him look like a fool. Snoopy went back to where the cheerleaders were. Frieda hugged him. "Thank you, Snoopy! You just saved your owner from harm."

Snoopy thought to himself, "Just wait till the round-headed kid finds out I had a part in his humiliation during the last game. He'll probably send me back to the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. I feel terrible."

Charlie Brown meanwhile started to kick the ball and it flew overhead. Everyone looked in anticipation. Charlie Brown looked nervous and waited to see what happened. And the ball made between the goal posts, earning Patty's team the much-needed three points for the win. Everyone cheered. Charlie Brown worries turned to happiness. He won the game for the team.

"ALL RIGHT, CHARLIE BROWN!" Linus shouted from the sideline.

"YOU DID IT, CHUCK!" Patty shouted with excitement. "YOU WON THE GAME FOR US! YOU'RE A HERO!"

The team proceeded to pick up Charlie Brown and carry him on their shoulders. Charlie Brown was beside himself with happiness. He finally redeemed himself from last time. Even when Lucy tried to humiliate him at the last minute, Molly Volley's intervention put that to an end. After the team put him down, Frieda ran up and gave him a big hug and a kiss.

"You did it, sweetie!" she said, with tears of happiness in her eyes. "I'm so proud of you!" That made it even more worth it to Charlie Brown. To put a smile on his girlfriend's face was worth a hundred football game wins. The mysterious figure that videotaped Lucy's conversations from before was watching and then left.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: DANCING AND PLOT-REVEALING**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: THE HOMECOMING DANCE (Part 1)**

 **AT THE PREVIOUS DANCE**

 _Lucy watched as her brother, Charlie Brown, Franklin, Pig Pen, and Schroeder went to greet the Queen and her Princesses. Franklin was first, then Linus, then Pig Pen, and then Schroeder. Finally Charlie Brown went to escort the Queen. He was very nervous. Lucy smiled very evilly. Her plan to humiliate Charlie Brown was going smoothly, so far. She managed to pull the ball away from Charlie Brown four times during the game, and he messed up on his own during a kickoff attempt, which was a bonus for her. His crush was destined to laugh in his face as far as she was concerned. But she was shocked when she took his arm and walked toward the dance floor. And Charlie Brown proceeded to give the traditional kiss._

 _Lucy was surprised. She managed to get away with folks thinking he lost the game, but the little red-haired girl wasn't put off by Charlie Brown at all. In fact, the total opposite in that regard happened. Charlie Brown somehow managed to charm her. And they danced to the waltz real smooth. Charlie Brown, who usually would have two left feet, managed to dance very smoothly. It was like God Himself threw a bone toward Charlie Brown; figuring he deserves a good time for once. As it turned out, Charlie Brown was a hit at the dance, much to Lucy's chagrin. Peppermint Patty, on the other hand, was forgiving at that point._

 _"He may be a lousy football player," she said, "but at least he can dance."_

 _The next day, Violet met up with Lucy. She was the only person, besides Snoopy, who knew of her plan to humiliate Charlie Brown._

 _"Well I take it your plan to totally ruin Charlie Brown was a bust, huh?" she said._

 _"Not entirely," Lucy replied. "Even though the dance didn't go as I wanted it to, people still believe that Charlie Brown lost the game. So it wasn't a total loss."_

 _"Maybe not," Violet said, "but if I were you, I'd be careful. Sometimes the truth comes out."_

 _"I'm not worried, Violet. This is Charlie Brown we're talking about. He's the neighborhood's number one screw-up! No one will believe that he didn't lose the game."_

 **PRESENT DAY HOMECOMING DANCE**

At the dance, Charlie Brown, Frieda, Franklin, Melanie, and Linus were seated at a table. Eudora walked in and sat next to Linus. She was dressed in a lavender purple dress with white shoes. "Hey Linus," she greeted.

"Eudora!" said Linus, surprised to see her. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good," she said. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in dancing with me."

Linus looked worried. He knew that Eudora was the best friend of Sally, Charlie Brown's sister and the bane of his existence. He often got annoyed whenever Sally called him her Sweet Babboo; a nickname he hated. And if she was at the dance, she would never give him a moment's peace.

Charlie Brown, knowing why Linus was worried, said to Frieda, "Did I tell you Sally is home with the flu?"

"No, is she all right?" asked Frieda.

"She is. She just needs to stay in for the weekend." Linus, picking up on the hint, said to Eudora, "I would love to dance with you, Eudora." They went to the dance floor.

"They look cute together, don't they?" said Frieda.

"Yeah," said Charlie Brown. "Eudora always seemed to like Linus. It's just with Sally hounding him, they could never get too close."

On the other end of the dance hall, Peppermint Patty was drinking some punch when she heard a tap on the window. She turned around to see Thibault outside. He pointed toward the door. She nodded and walked over to Franco. "I'll be right back, Franco," she said.

She walked outside to greet the pint-sized kid. "Thibault," she began, "what are you doing here? Patty's inside and if they see you, you'll get in big trouble."

"I know," he said. "That's why I tapped on the window. I needed to tell you something important."

"Really? What's that?"

"I'm going away to military school."

"Are you really?"

"Yeah. It was the suggestion of my psychiatrist. He suggested it to my father and me. We both agreed it probably be the best for me. Plus it'll get me out of that remedial school I've been going to."

"No argument there."

"Anyway, I leave tomorrow if you want to see me off. I figured I'd let you know before I left. You were busy playing in the game so I thought this would be the best time to reach you. By the way did you guys win?"

"Yep! Ol' Chuck scored the field goal for us."

"Cool. When you see him, tell him I said no hard feelings about the glove."

"I will. And I'll see you off tomorrow, Thibault."

"Okay, Patty. I'll let you get back inside. I've been out too long already. See you tomorrow."

"See ya, Thibault." And Peppermint Patty went back inside the dance hall. She was just in time because it was time for the Homecoming Court to commence the traditional dance. Schroeder and the rest of the court went first. Then Pig Pen, who managed to stay clean this time around, walked down to escort Sidney Walsh, who was the queen this time. After they reached the dance floor, Pig Pen delivered the traditional kiss and then they started dancing. Afterwards, the other kids joined them in the dance. After the waltz, kids started having fun either dancing or eating from the buffet.

Lucy sat at a table with Violet, Shermy, Patty, and Ox. She was crabby from getting read the riot act by Peppermint Patty and being thrown out of the game by Molly Volley. Violet took notice and said, "Oh stop sulking, Lucy. Just because your latest attempt to humiliate Charlie Brown failed before it could be implemented doesn't mean you need to be a Debbie Downer."

"Oh zip it, Gray," Lucy retorted. "I don't see how this night can get any worse."

Suddenly a strange voice said over the loud speaker said, "Lucy Van Pelt, your day of reckoning has arrived!" Everyone looked over at Lucy.

"I had to tempt fate," Lucy sighed.

 **NEXT CHAPTER: JUSTICE NEVER TASTED SO BITTERSWEET.**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6: THE HOMECOMING DANCE (Part 2)**

 **ONE WEEK AFTER THE LAST HOMECOMING GAME**

 _The mysterious figure walked up to a house carrying a video. The person knocked at the door. Marcie answered the door._

 _"Do I know you?" she asked._

 _"Yes," the figure said. They pulled up their disguise to reveal their identity to Marcie._

 _"Good grief, it's you," Marcie said realizing who it was._

 _"I have something for you to view," the mystery person said. "This will clear Charlie Brown's name as the one who lost the Homecoming game last week. It reveals that Lucy Van Pelt was the one who cost the team the game by pulling the football away from Charlie. I know Peppermint Patty doesn't want to accept that she made a mistake blaming Charlie Brown, but this will make her face the facts. I'm counting on you, Marcie. I will be in touch. I got more footage before the game happened that proves that the ball trick was just the tip of the iceberg." And they left. Marcie went inside and popped the video in. She watched closely and saw Lucy pulling the ball away from Charlie Brown._

 _"I got to tell Peppermint Patty," Marcie said to herself. "She's going to have to listen to me now!" And she left for Patty's house, carrying the video with her. On the video it said "Charlie Brown's Redemption"._

 **PRESENT DAY AT THE CURRENT HOMECOMING DANCE**

"Lucy Van Pelt," the creepy voice said. "You have gotten away with a lot more than framing Charlie Brown for losing a Homecoming game. While by now everyone knows that you pulled the ball away from him just to make him look like he lost the game instead of you, no one knows the extent of your depravity. Well, except for a couple of folks; one of which is Violet Gray."

"Uh oh!" Violet said, knowing what was coming.

"While Violet was not directly involved in helping you with your sick plot, she knows what you've been up to. The only thing she's guilty of is not putting it to a stop when she could've saved Charlie Brown some added grief. You, on the other hand, have no excuse for your actions. Everyone knows how crabby and mean you are on the surface, but they don't know how deplorable you really are. That ends tonight! ROLL THE FOOTAGE!"

The lights went out and on a screen read "The REAL Lucy Van Pelt-An Anatomy of a Sinister Plot". Just then the footage the mysterious figure shot was shown. The first conversation with Violet about her plot was first shown. Everyone was shocked at what they were viewing. Charlie Brown was especially shocked, but not surprised that Lucy would do something like this. But what was shown next shook Charlie Brown to his core. It was the scene where Lucy threatened Snoopy.

 _"Now listen, you stupid beagle, because I'm only going to say this once. I know about you being the referee for the upcoming Homecoming game. And I will be playing on Peppermint Patty's team. Now when the game is going on, no matter what I do on the field, TURN THE OTHER WAY. You understand me? TURN THE OTHER WAY! You didn't see anything. If you report anything I do, or tell anyone about this deal, not only will I pound you, but after I'm done, I'll give what's left of you to the cat next door!"_ When Charlie Brown learned that Lucy forced his own dog into her ploy to ruin him, he was angry beyond belief. Lucy slumped in her seat to avoid giving anyone eye contact.

The next scene was her and Violet talking about what would happen if Peppermint Patty ever found out. _"I'm not worried about that idiot. She's so stupid; she'll believe that Charlie Brown screwed up. This girl thinks Snoopy is a funny-looking kid with a big nose, for crying out loud. Stevie Wonder could see that Snoopy's a dog! So why wouldn't she think he screwed up? Plus on a field that big you wouldn't tell that I was pulling the ball away. So not only will that moron Peppermint Patty think he messed up; everyone else will, too. Because he's Charlie Brown!"_ Peppermint Patty grinded her teeth in furious anger when she saw that. Franco stood back knowing that space was good for her when she was mad.

The rest of the footage was of the game itself when Lucy pulled the ball away from Charlie Brown. Then the voice said "In spite of your treachery, Lucy Van Pelt, there was one part of your ploy that you could not influence!" Then the footage of Charlie Brown escorting the little red-haired girl to the dance floor played.

"I actually danced with the little red-haired girl?" Charlie Brown's memory of that night was still foggy at best. He remembered the game before, but not the actual dance because of his nervousness.

The voice continued, "And even though you succeeded with making folks think that Charlie Brown lost the football game, it wasn't enough for the queen to turn her back on him. In fact, she enjoyed the dance very much." By this time Lucy was trying to hide her face in shame.

As the video was winding down, the last scene was a continuation of Lucy's conversation with Violet. _"Wow, that's deplorable, Lucy," said Violet. "While I'm not one to defend Charlie Brown, what has he done to deserve this kind of abuse?"_

 _"Nothing," said Lucy. "Just his being born is enough for his suffering."_ And then the movie ended. All of the kids in the dance hall were livid, but no one more so than Charlie Brown or Peppermint Patty. Lucy had played both of them and even worse, at least for Charlie Brown, she forced Snoopy into helping her. Charlie Brown noticed Snoopy bawling. He was sad because Lucy forced him into turning the other way during that game.

"Snoopy," Charlie Brown began, "I'm not mad at you, ol' pal. It wasn't your fault what Lucy did to me. You were just as much a victim of hers as I was. And I'm going to rectify that now!"

Charlie Brown angrily walked over to where Lucy was sitting. Violet, Shermy, Patty, and Ox left the table, leaving Lucy by herself with her angry round-headed foe. Peppermint Patty wasn't that far behind as she was headed that way herself.

"H-H-Hello, Charlie Brown," greeted a nervous Lucy.

"Lucy," he started, "over the years I put up with a lot of your shenanigans and teasing. Whether it was you pulling the ball away from me, not counting this of course, being the worst baseball player in the history of the game, calling me 'Failure Face', 'Blockhead', and other hurtful names, and belittling me in front of everybody. And as upsetting as all of that was, I let it slide. Some would say I let it slide way too much than deserved. But as angry as I am over this revelation that you planned to ruin my chances with the little red-haired girl, not even that can match my fury over the fact you FORCED MY DOG INTO HELPING WITH YOUR LOUSY SCHEME! Linus will still be my best friend; Rerun will always be welcome to play with Snoopy; but as for you, Lucille Van Pelt, YOU ARE DEAD TO ME! STAY OUT OF MY LIFE, AND STAY AWAY FROM MY DOG!" And a fuming Charlie Brown stormed back to his table. Frieda comforted him. And Snoopy hugged him with gratitude. But the confrontation with Lucy wasn't over, because it was Peppermint Patty's turn.

"Lucille," she began, "I'll start where Chuck left off. I can forgive the hurtful things you said about me, but the fact that you lied to me about your intentions, that's unforgivable. While you pulling the ball away during the game is now common knowledge, NO ONE could imagine the complete and total deplorable plan you really had for poor Chuck! Even worse, as Chuck pointed out a moment ago, was that you got Snoop involved. And you forced him into turning the other way when you pulled the ball away."

"And you threatened an official, Lucy Van Pelt," the voice chimed in. "You should've been kicked off the team right then and there for that alone!"

"Well not only are you off the team," Patty continued, "but I will personally see to it that you NEVER play in any Pee-Wee football league team in the tri-county region AGAIN! Now I'm going to give you the same advice you gave Chuck that night at the dance. If you were smart, Lucille, you get out of here fast. And that's not a suggestion, if you get my drift!" Patty punched a fist into her palm. Lucy immediately got up and started heading for the door.

As she was leaving, Lucy heard a lot of comments toward her. "I tried to warn you about the consequences," said Violet.

"How the mighty have fallen," Shermy quipped.

"And I thought I was the dirty one," Pig Pen chimed in.

Patty and Ox just shook their heads. Schroeder simply said, "And THIS is why I will never marry you."

"Das Hexe*," said an angry Franco under his breath.

"Karma will always get you in the end," said a stoic Franklin.

"Hey Frankie, who's Karma?" asked a confused Melanie.

"I don't blame Charlie Brown for doing what he did," Linus said to his sister as she headed out the door. "You always do stuff like this, Lucy. When are you going to act like a decent human being?! I'll see you at home, unfortunately." And he walked back to the table where Charlie Brown and Frieda were. Lucy hung her head and walked out. She was at her lowest point. She now realized the ramifications of her actions, but it was too late. It costed Lucy her friendship with Charlie Brown and possibly Peppermint Patty. She headed for home.

Meanwhile, back in the dance hall, the voice spoke again. "You may be wondering who I am and why I did this. Well I will reveal myself to you now." Just then that mysterious figure who taped all of those conversations and setups Lucy was doing stepped out of the shadows. Then they took off their trench coat, hat, and scarf to reveal their identity.

"GOOD GRIEF!" exclaimed Linus. "IT'S HEATHER!"

"THE LITTLE RED-HAIRED GIRL?!" shouted a shocked Charlie Brown.

It was in fact Heather Wold, the little red-haired girl herself in the flesh. She was back in town, but for how long? She said, "I know what you're all thinking. What is Heather doing back? Didn't she move away last year? Yes I did, and I'm still living in my new house. I just came back to visit my grandmother for the week. But when I found out Homecoming was this week, I wanted to see if Lucy ever changed her ways. Unbeknownst to her, this game was her test. During the majority of the game she was all right, until she shoved Schroeder out of the way to try to pull the ball away from Charlie Brown again.

"To say the least, she failed big time. But luckily Molly Volley put a stop to that before Lucy could humiliate him again. So that's when I put this plan into action. Back before the last Homecoming, when I was nominated as Homecoming Queen, I found out Lucy nominated Charlie Brown and her brother Linus. Why she inserted her brother's name in there I don't know, but I knew her nomination of Charlie was filled with bad intentions. So I started following her and found out that she was plotting to set up Charlie Brown to lose the game by 'suggesting' he join the football team to Peppermint Patty. So I kept following her and documenting her evil scheme. I had already produced the footage that proved that she pulled the ball away; but I held on to the rest in case she never learned her lesson, which she didn't."

"So you did all of this?" asked Peppermint Patty.

"Well, I can't take all the credit," Heather said. "I did have some help from some of your friends. Well, one is more Snoopy's friend." And then, Woodstock flew in, to the surprise of everyone.

"HEY!" shouted Snoopy when he saw his friend. Woodstock immediately flew over and Snoopy hugged him.

"And he's not the only one who helped," Heather continued. That's when Marcie walked in.

"MARCIE?!" said Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, in unison.

"That's right," said Marcie. "Heather was the one who gave me that first tape of Charles being tricked by Lucille. But when she tried the same trick at today's game, that's when we decided that she needed to be taught a lesson."

"Woodstock taped the other footage at the game," said Heather. "And that's pretty much it."

"Charles," Marcie began, "even though we're both now dating someone, I'm still very fond of you. And what Lucille did to you at that game was beyond horrific. I felt that it was my duty to rectify the damage she's done. And with Heather's help, I was able to."

"Marcie," Charlie Brown said, "thank you so much. Words cannot describe what this means to me. And thank you, Heather. While what Lucy did was horrible, I'm lucky to have friends who have my back."

"Not a problem, Charlie Brown," said Heather. "And Frieda, you got a good guy there. You are one lucky girl."

"I know, Heather," Frieda said, holding Charlie Brown's hand. "He's one in a million."

"Well, I need to get going," Heather said. "And Charlie Brown, you got a friend for life."

"Take care, Heather," Charlie Brown said. "And thanks again." As Heather walked out the door, Charlie Brown remembered his conversation with Linus the day after the dance from last time:

 _"Instead of the goat," Linus said, "you were the hero, Charlie Brown!"_

 _"What good is it to do anything, Linus," said Charlie Brown, "if you can't remember what you did?!"_

 _"Well, at least it was your first kiss, Charlie Brown."_

"Well Chuck," Peppermint Patty said, "you finally managed to talk to the little red-haired girl."

"Yeah I did, Patty," said Charlie Brown. "But as far as I'm concerned, I got the better little red-haired girl right here."

"Aww thank you, sweetie," said Frieda, who then gave Charlie Brown a kiss.

"You know, Chuck, in spite of what you or others may think you are NOT a loser. You are a winner, Chuck!" And everyone cheered.

Pig Pen then stood up and said, "Hit it, Maestro!"

 _Cha Cha Cha_

 _When you're feelin' that you're movin' up_

 _Always someone tries to make you stop_

 _When you're filling up your cup_

 _Someone comes around to spill every drop_

 _When everything's going strong_

 _And someone doesn't like what you do_

 _They'll try to make you feel that you're wrong_

 _Pull the rug from your feet before you're through_

 _And if you follow carefully_

 _The flow of your energy_

 _You will start to see_

 _That you are a winner_

 _You are a winner_

 _When you're filling up your cup_

 _Someone comes around to spill every drop_

 _There is no time for wondering_

 _You're a winner as every day begins_

 _And if you follow carefully_

 _The flow of your energy_

 _You will start to see_

 _That you are a winner_

 _You are a winner_

 **NEXT CHAPTER: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN…**

"You Are A Winner" written by Beloyd Taylor

*"Hexe" is "Witch" in German


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7: GOODBYE, THIBAULT**

The next day, Peppermint Patty and Franco went to the bus station to see Thibault off as he left for military school. For his part Thibault was optimistic. This was the chance for him to change his life and possibly become a better person. He didn't want to think like his uncle Max anymore. He wanted to be able to treat girls with the respect they deserved.

"Well," he began, "this is it, I guess. Thanks for coming to see me off."

"Forget about it, Thibault," said Peppermint Patty. "That reminds me. Patty wanted me to give you this." She had a note in an envelope. Thibault opened it and read it.

 _Dear Thibault,_

 _It pretty much goes without saying that you messed up big time with me. That being said, I do hope that you get the help you need. Peppermint Patty told me how sorry you were for your actions and that you regret what you did. Well I want you to know while we will never get back together as boyfriend and girlfriend, I do forgive you. And hopefully when you get back from military school, we can start over as good friends. And when you do get back, the restraining order may be lifted by that time so it wouldn't be a problem. Take care of yourself and have a safe trip._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Patty Swanson_

This meant the world to Thibault. All he ever wanted was Patty's forgiveness and he received it. Now he could go to military school with a clear conscience.

"Tell Patty I said 'Thank you'," said Thibault, fighting back tears.

"I'll do that, kid," said Peppermint Patty. "Don't become a stranger, you hear?"

And then Thibault boarded his bus and took his seat. The bus then took off and Patty and Franco waved at Thibault as he left for military school.

Meanwhile at the wall, Charlie Brown and Linus were discussing the night before and what transpired. Charlie Brown was determined to free himself of Lucy's influence once and for all.

"You know, Linus," he began, "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm not worrying about what your sister has planned for me. No more dreading every year of kicking that dumb football. And Ox has agreed to join the team, so I already have a replacement for her."

"Lucy has had it coming for a long time," Linus said. "All of the things she's done are finally catching up with her. I guess better late than never. And the Homecoming game revelation was just the beginning."

"You said it," agreed Charlie Brown. "And how about the little red-haired girl? Who would've thought she would be the one to take her down?"

"With the help of Marcie and Woodstock, of course," added Linus.

"I think about all those times I dealt with her; taunting me, calling me a failure like it was a normal conversation, all of that wasted money at the psychiatric booth, and don't get me started with her baseball playing. I may not be the greatest player on earth, but I could go pro compared to her! And that football! At least I'm free of all of that."

"You are a lucky guy, Charlie Brown," said Linus. "I still have to deal with her at home."

"Yeah. I feel sorry for you and Rerun. She's done a lot to you as well. It may not be to the severity of my abuse, but it's no better, either. All I know is a new start is beginning. Let's go to Joe's, my treat." And Charlie Brown and Linus headed for Joe's Café for a bite to eat.

 **THE END**


End file.
